This Means War!
by Golden Snowflake
Summary: Rouge finds herself in the same nightclub as Knuckles and an interesting card game ensues...
1. What A Coincedence

I got the idea for this story a couple months ago, and wrote the whole thing in three hours. I won't post the next chapter until I get reviews, though!

MWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!

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I sat drowsily at the bar. I hadn't been drinking; I was just worn out by another one of my late - night missions. Being a government spy means getting up at three in the morning, four days is a row. It's no picnic, either. I get so stressed out…

"Hi, Rouge," a young woman greeted cheerfully.

I blinked at her. "Do I know you?"

Whoever she was, her face twisted into a shape of sheer desolation. She ran off wailing.

"Hmm." I yawned sleepily. "Must've known her. Sorry, kid,"

I better describe where I am so you don't start askin' later. It's a club -slash- bar sort of thing, but they don't serve alcohol. But they're not Amish either. I have no idea how they started up a non-alcoholic _bar_, but I digress. The old floor's wood, glazed so many times that you're walking an inch off of the boards. The walls are navy blue, and everything else is red and royal purple inside. And boy, you wouldn't _believe_ how that fits into my story.

There weren't really many people there that night. It was rainy out, and the Station Square guys don't like rain. There were a couple of Mobians in here, some kind of weasel, and a fox - girl, and a bird. He reminded me of Arnold Schwarttzenager. Hee hee.

Then he came in. _Oh, no_, I thought,_ none of their group can see me like this!_ _I have an image to uphold._ When you've been up since three am., it's three am. again, and you're waiting for MORE orders, you can't keep your charming attitude going. This really wasn't the time for Knux to show up somewhere. Laughing along on either side of him were the Blue Blur and their foxy little friend. "Just great," I remember grumbling out loud.

_Maybe if I turn around, they won't see me,_ I hoped fervently._ Oh yeah?_ Another little voice contradicted. _With this getup, it's either you or one of Charlie's angels!_

"Oh yeah." I'd forgotten about the black leather jumpsuit I was wearing. Along with the black leather boots and gloves. All shiny and _very_ snug. Trust me, work uniforms were never meant to look like that. Or be so darn _itchy…_

_Well, maybe they'll be to busy to notice,_ I tried to reason. _They're boys, _they'll_ notice._ the little practical voice again sneered. It almost sounded snide, like it had been waiting for this moment for a long time…

"No!" Sonic cried in agony. I started on the instinct that somebody'd been shot. I then forced myself to relax. They'll _never_ notice me if I whip my gun out and start asking where the criminal went. (rolls eyes)

"Beat'cha again, Sonic!" Tails cheered with pride. "Speed is all about being able to think quickly."

Knux's voice came across the room next. "Looks like our buddy here's talent is losing quickly."

"Hey!" Sonic whined. I pictured playing cards strewn all over the table and Tails and Knux grinning.

"The one I'm good at is war," the echidna bragged. "I'm an expert."

Tails's delayed response followed the previous comment. "Knuckles, the game "war" is based on pure luck." He and Sonic started laughing.

"Hey!" This time it was Knux's turn to be indignant. I wondered cheekily to myself if I'd get to hear _him_ laugh tonight…

Sonic's laughter ceased. "But that's true, Knux. You do have incredibly sweet luck."

I warmed my hands over my coffee cup (that must've looked strange,) as I thought, _It wasn't LUCK! It was fate that brought us together…_ I slapped myself mentally. _You dummy!_ My practical judgment scolded._ Don't think things like that! You'll start speaking your mind, you're so tired here._ I shuddered. That would be humiliating!

"I'll show you two," the echidna went on. "I'm gonna play War with the next person I see and win- hel_lo_!"

Shoot. He saw me.

I heard Knux approaching me from my left and tensed up. "Miss, might I offer you a card gam- _Rouge!"_

I blinked at him. "…? What's a Knucklehead like _you_ doing _here_?"

He leaned on the counter, fumbling for words. "I, uh, just… followed Sonic and Tails here, I guess. What… are you doing here?"

I held up my mug. "Coffee."

"Uh- yeah." He blinked self consciously. (He's so CUTE when he gets shy!) "Well, do you know any… card… games…?"

I smiled. "Yeah. I do. Why?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you'd like to play War with me. Un- unless you don't want to."

I smiled. "No, I'd like to." I was too afraid to say 'love to,' and the more I thought about it, the more obvious that seemed. I followed him a bit self- consciously back to the long sofa that reached around the corner and sat across from him, beside Sonic. _This was going to be an interesting night…_

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Again, I'm NOT writing the second chapter unless you review! Ya HEAR me?

Sara: Hyper today, Rouge?

(giggles crazily) NO, NoT rEaLlY ... hey, did I spell "Schwarttzenager" right?

Sara: (sighs)


	2. The Challenge

"Well, look who's here!" Sonic smiled nonchalantly, taking his feet off of the table. "Hey, Rouge. What's up?"

"Me when I should be sleeping. I can't, though." What's my excuse? I can't tell them I'm a SPY.

The hedgehog laughed cheerfully. Somehow he relaxed me and made me more tense at the same time. "How'd Knux get you over here? Promise you a kiss if you win?"

He was obviously teasing. "Hey!" Knux shouted, reaching over and shoving his friend. Tails just shook his head slowly.

"Sorry about him," he turned his gorgeous violet eyes back on mine. "He's hyper at even _this_ late at night." I laughed softly, noticing how laidback he had become once his friends were there to support him.

Tails dealt us both half the deck. "This game will be played until one person or the other runs out of cards." Sonic yawned lazily. "Or until Sonic falls asleep: in which case the player with more cards is the victor."

"And one more thing," Knux added, re-shuffling his half, let's say the winner gets to make the loser do something. -Within reasonable limits," he added nervously when my eyes sprung open.

I started. "If I win… you have to buy me that new diamond necklace they got in at the jewelry store."_ Bingo! Quick thinking, Rouge!_

Knuckles didn't seem too badly swayed. Arrogance is such a terrible thing, I sometimes think.

Sonic answered for his friend, who was just looking at me with a touch of nervousness on his face. "Deal. If we win, you owe us… another card game next week. Same time, same place."

I nodded. "Deal." I'd just keep comin' till I won.

Tails remained impassive. "Ready, you two? Go."

We both flipped a card out. Mine was the six of hearts. His was the jack of spades. I glanced at him nervously. This might not be so easy after all…


	3. You'd Never Believe It

It just occured to me that half of you don't know how to play war. I'm sorry- I guess this story is a little confusing if you don't. Ask someone how to play sometime; it's a great pastime if the power is out or something.

Oops. I almost forgot. I DON'T OWN KNUCKLES OR ROUGE. Or anybody else. There. Don't sue me.

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We both flipped our cards. Ten of clubs- that's good! I grinned. Then he flipped his. King of diamonds. Sonic and Tails both stared at each other for a minute as he pushed the cards to his right to start a pile.

We flipped again. Mine: four of spades. His: five of hearts.

Flip. Mine: five of diamonds. His: nine of spades.

Flip. Mine: eight of hearts. His: ace of clubs. I groaned.

Flip. Mine: nine of diamonds! Maybe a win for me!

His? Ten of diamonds, of course.

As the minutes passed and we began to get into our little decks, his pile grew and grew. Mine remained merely reserved space on the table. Tails was watching intently, and Sonic was staring with his jaw dropping further and further with every one of Knux's little victories. I was starting to think it was rigged or something.

Flip. Knux had drawn a seven of hearts. I leered.

"War!" I had drawn a seven of clubs.

We both set a card face down and hastily flipped our two cards on top of them.

He had drawn a three of diamonds. And me? The six of spades!

"Yeah!" Tails cheered.

Sonic blinked. "A six?! She won!"

Knuckles pushed the cards toward me, nervously meeting my eyes for a moment and returning his hand to his deck. I self - consciously did the same.

Flip. Mine: four of diamonds. His: two of spades.

Flip. Mine: three of hearts. His: two of clubs.

Slowly, things started to change. The odds were in my favor! Flip after flip, my pile of cards began to grow and his chances seemed to be diminishing. He was becoming more and more nervous, I could tell. I, on the other hand, was relaxing.

Flip. Mine: nine of clubs. His: eight of spades.

Flip. Mine: ten of spades. His: jack of diamonds. _I _was getting a bit anxious now. The minutes had turned into hours, but I hadn't noticed. Our game was nearing its end. Our decks had shrunken from hulking towers into stacks of seven each. Tails was still watching excitedly, but Sonic was now yawning from time to time.

Flip. Mine: nine of hearts. His: queen of spades.

Flip. Mine: king of clubs. His: jack of hearts.

Flip. Mine: ten of hearts. His: queen of hearts.

I was startled by Tails's snapping to wake Sonic up. He turned back to us and half jumped when we were both staring at him. "You guys know that this is it, right? Sonic here is about done for the night."

We both glanced at each other apprehensively. I took a shaky deep breath and drew a card. He followed suit. (Pardon the pun.)

Shaky flip. Mine: the ace of spades. I had done it!

His: ace of diamonds. My mouth dropped open.

"War," he murmured shakily, setting a card face- down and drawing another.

This is it, Rouge! You can do it! I flipped my card. It was actually the Queen of Diamonds! We'd been through all of the high cards now, I was sure of it; Tails and Sonic gasped in awe. I smirked. "Beat that, Knucklehead."

His purple eyes were wide with surprise as he held his card facing away from me. "O-Oh…" he stuttered before narrowing his eyes. "With pleasure."

I gasped in disbelief. It wasn't possible! My Queen! Of Diamonds!!

Flip. I couldn't believe it.

The King of Hearts.

"No way," Sonic murmured.

I looked up at Knuckles, stunned. "You- I-"

He smiled at me weakly. "Sorry, Rouge." He rubbed his arm sheepishly. "I had to prove to these two that I could win a card game."

I blinked in disbelief. He shrugged self-consciously. "It was just luck."

I could do nothing but stare, my mouth agape.

Sonic was the first to break the stunned silence by standing up.

"Okay, Night night everybody. I'm goin' home. 'Scuse me, Rouge."

I got up silently. Tails followed his best friend. "Good card game, you two."

"Thanks," I found myself saying.

Knux got up on the other side of the table and looked at me, obviously embarrassed. "Um, see you next week, I guess. …Good game."

I finally began to regain my composure. "Thanks. You too." He smiled at me for a second before racing after his pals. I felt myself blushing and smiling as they vanished from view.

"Rouge, come in. This is the president."

I grabbed my communicator. "Reporting for duty, sir."

"We have the problem under control. Why don't you take a couple days off? You sound fatigued."

I nodded. Now that the excitement was over, I was becoming extremely worn out. "You know," I murmured woozily, "I think I will."

"That will be all. Thank you, Rouge."

My radio _chhk'd_ with static.

Turning back to the table, I realized that the group had left their deck there. I sat back down, the old sofa hissing out air with my weight. I began to scoop the cards into a pile. Then I saw the final card played. I picked it up. The king of hearts…

Then a thought struck me. Next week? Same time, same place? You better get practicing! a little voice in my head called. With a weary smile, I collected thee pile of cards and hurried out the door towards home.

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Yeay I'm done :) R&R Please! I'm sorry it took me so long to post Ch. 3 - my surge protector wasn't hooked up right and my computer got hit by lightening. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find the right backup CD when you somehow LEFT IT AT YOUR GRANDMA'S HOUSE?


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